Loose-leaf binder.



W. S. PROUDFIT.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY27, 1915.

1,224,664., Patented May1,1917.

INVENTOR.

WILLIAM S. PROUDFIT, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ltIay I, 191?.

Application filed lviay 27, 1915; Serial No. 30,789.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. PROUD- rrr, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State ofMichigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loose-LeafBinders, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to loose-leaf binders, and its object isgenerally, to provide an improved device of that character; and moreparticularly, such a device having improved adjusting means for theleafholding members; and further, such a device having improved meansfor holding such members in adjusted position.

These and any other objects appearing hereinafter are attained by, andthe invention finds preferable embodiment in, the structures hereinafterdescribed and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a plan view of the inside of the opened covers of a loose-leafbinder containing leaves;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of a clip for adjustably, connecting aleaf-holding member to a cross bar;

Fig. 3 is a like view of a portion of a cover of such a binder, showinga guide for a leaf-holding member; and a bearing for a rotatable clampfor such a member;

Fig. 4 is a like view of a form of such clamp;

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of another form of such clamp.

In the embodiment of my invention chosen for illustration by thedrawings and for detailed description in the body of this specification,the covers 1 and 2 are connected by flexible leaf-holding members whichare preferably resilient, as the flat steel springs 3 carrying theleaves 4. Said members are adjustable on the cover 2 to differentthicknesses of the leaf body, by sliding them longitudinally in guides 5near the binding edge of the cover, and holding them in adjustedposition by means carried by said cover and comprising a rotatable shaft6 having an eccentric cam 7 adapted in one rotary position of the shaftto clamp said member in its adjusted position, as by engaging itdirectly and clamping it to such cover. This cam may be formed byflattening a portion of the shaft to the shape shown in Fig. 4.

In Figs. 1 and 4, the shaft has a handle portion 8 adapted in the shaftsclamping position to overlie the free end of said member and hold itagainst or in parallel relation to the cover at a distance from thepoint of the clamping action thereon.

In Fig. 6, the shaft is continuous and carries cams for clamping all theleaf-h0lding members by one operation.

A rotary bearing for said rotatable shaft is died up from said cover andcomprises two portions; a portion 10 forming the inner side of suchbearing (next the cover), and another portion 11 forming the outer sideof such bearing. Other portions are died up from the cover to form endthrust bearings 12 adapted to hold the shaft longitudinally in its saidrotary bearing.

A- guide for the sliding movement of each leaf-holding member is died upfrom the cover and comprises two portions; a portion 13 adapted to holdsaid member against lateral displacement, and other portions 14 adaptedto hold said member against edgewise displacement: it will be seen(particularly in Fig. 3) that the direction of the died up bending ofone said portion from the cover is opposite to that of the others;whereby said member is held by portions 14 from binding in that part ofportion 13, next to the face of the cover.

On cover 1 is pivotally mounted at 16 a swinging arm 17 to which theother end of each leaf-holding member is attached. This arm is heldagainst the slackening movement of said member and close to the face ofthe cover by a latch 18 pivoted on the cover: when turned to theposition of the upper and lower latches in Fig. l the latch abuttinglyengages its leaf-holding member, as by said members lug or projection 19carried thereby and holds it directly against its slackening movement,whereby the strain on the arms pivots and the tendency to spring the armby the tension of the leafholding member are relieved: but when thelatch is swung to the position of the middle latch in Fig. 1, the arm isreleased and permitted to swing away from the face of the cover toslacken the loaf-holding members for the insertion or removal of leavesfrom the binder.

The latches may be provided with laterally extending lugs 50 adapted,when the latches are swung to the position of the upper and lowerlatches in Fig. l, to enter dicd-up keepers 51 in cover 1.

A clip 20 (particularly shown in Fig. 2) for adjustably connecting aleaf-holding member to a cross bar as the cross bar 21 of the arm,comprises cooperating parts 22 and 23 disposed on the opposite sides ofsaid member; one of these parts 22 has a socket 28 adapted to receivethe cross bar and also a plurality of preferably curved apertures 24 andthe other part 23 has a correspondingly-shaped post 25 adapted to bethrust through an opening as 26, in the leaf-holding member and into anyof the said apertures. The said parts 22 and 23 are detachably heldtogether with the leafholding member between them by a suitable catch 29pivotally mounted at 27 on one said part. It will be seen that this clipprovides a peculiarly secure and strong at tachment of the leaf-holdingmember to the cross bar, and affords a step by step adjustment of suchparts relatively to each other.

The invention being intended to be defined solely by the claims, is notto be limited by details of construction shown or described.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described; a pair of covers; a flexibleleaf-holding member connecting the covers; and means carried by onecover for holding said members in adjusted position thereon andcomprising a rotatable shaft having an eccentrio cam adapted in onerotary position of the shaft to engage said member directly and clamp itto said cover.

2. In a device of the character described; a flexible leaf-holdingmember connecting the covers; and means carried by one cover for holdingsaid member in adjusted position thereon, and comprising a rotatableshaft having an eccentric cam adapted in one rotary position of theshaft to clampingly hold said member in its said adjusted position, saidshaft having a handle portion adapted in the shafts clamping position tooverlie said member and hold it in parallel relation to the cover at apoint other than that of the clamping action.

3. In a device of the character described; a pair of covers; a flexibleleaf-holding member connecting the covers; and means carried by onecover for holding said members in adjusted position thereon andcomprising a rotatable shaft having an eccentric cam adapted in onerotary position of the shaft to engage said member directly and clamp itto said cover, said cam being formed by flattening a portion of theshaft.

4. In a device of the character described; a pair of covers; a flexibleleaf-holding member connecting the covers; a swinging arm to which saidmember is attached, and pivoted on one cover; and a latch pivoted onsaid cover and adapted in one position to abuttingly engage said memberand hold the same and the arm against the slackening movement of saidmember.

5. In a device of the character described; a pair ofcovers; a flexibleleaf-holding member connecting the covers; means rotatably mounted onone cover for holding said member in adjusted position thereon; and rotary bearings for said means died up from said cover and comprising aportion forming the inner side of such bearing, and another portionforming the outer side of such bearing.

6. In a device of the character described; a pair of covers; a flexibleleaf-holding member connecting the covers; means carried by one coverfor holding said member in adjusted position thereon; a guide on saidcover in Which said member is adapted to slide longitudinally andcomprising a portion died up from the cover and adapted to hold saidmember against lateral displacement and another portion died up from thecover and adapted to hold said member against edgewise displacement, thedirection of its died up bending from the cover being opposite to thatof the first mentioned portion.

7. In a device of the character described having a flexible leaf-holdingmember with an opening therethrough and a cross bar; a clip foradjustably connecting said member to the cross bar comprisingcooperating parts disposed on the opposite sides of said member, one ofsaid parts having a socket adapted to receive the cross bar and having aplurality of curved apertures, and the other having acorrespondingly-shaped post adapted to be thrust through the opening inthe leaf-holding member and into any one of said apertures, and a catchadapted to detachably hold said parts together with said membertherebetween.

8. In a device of the character described having a flexible leaf-holdingmember with an opening therethrough and a cross bar; a clip foradjustably connecting said member to the cross bar comprisingcooperating parts disposed on the opposite sides of said member, one ofsaid parts having a socket adapted to receive the cross bar and having aplurality of curved apertures, and the other having acorrespondingly-shaped post adapted to be thrust through the opening inthe leaf-holding member and into any one of said apertures, and a catchpivotally mounted on one said part and adapted to detachably hold saidparts together with said member therebetween.

9. In a device of the character described having a flexible leaf-holdingmember with an opening therethrough and a cross bar; a 130 clip foradjustably connecting said member to the cross bar comprisingcooperating parts disposed on the opposite sides of said member, one ofsaid parts having a socket adapted to receive the cross bar and having aplurality of apertures, and the other having a post adapted to be thrustthrough the opening in the leaf holding member and into any one of saidapertures, and a catch 10 pivotally mounted on one said part and adaptedto detachably hold said parts together With said member therebetween.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence ofsubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM S. PROUDFIT. WVitnesses:

CYRUS W. Bron, GANsoN TAGGART, HENRIETTA K. VANDER MYDE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

